Could Trains Revive the Michigan Central Station?

Detroit is dealing with many of the same issues that Buffalo is, when it comes to reusing its vacant train station. The situation at hand sounds eerily familiar to the plight of the Central Terminal, including abandonment, and the hurdle of being located on the “outskirts” of the city’s central hub. At the same time, there’s a shining light, in the form of someone who is considering taking the project on, by returning the station to its original glory and intended use as… of all things… a train station. Detroit’s Matthew Moroun is the business mogul who is talking the talk, and might possibly walk the walk. Essentially, the concept is similar to the one that Buffalo recently missed out on. Instead of positioning an Amtrak at the Central Terminal, political leaders opted to build a new station in Downtown Buffalo, much to the chagrin of East Side advocates.

According to Crain’s, “Moroun envisions the depot having a straight-shot rail line to Detroit Metropolitan Airport and being a stop for Amtrak’s high-speed train routes to Chicago and a connection to Ontario’s VIA through the adjacent rail tunnel that dips below the Detroit River.”

Incredibly, there is also an idea being bandied about that sees a streetcar line connecting the terminal to downtown Detroit. A BRO reader proposed a similar vintage Budd Car Service that would connect the Central Terminal to other key areas within the region (see here).

Moroun is also looking at what it would take to rehab the rest of the building, which is something the developer Doug Swift and businessman Harry Stinson proposed, until the ULI study muddied the waters. Similar to Buffalo’s Central Terminal, Moroun has spent some good money ensuring that the train station is stable – according to Crain’s, he “spent spent more than $8 million installing 1,100 new windows, building a freight elevator in the building’s original smokestack and removing debris and toxic asbestos.” Over the last few years, the Central Terminal Restoration Corporation (CTRC) has done its best to stabilize the Central Terminal, utilizing the limited funds that have been made available.

You can read the full story about Detroit’s opportunity at hand, to accomplish a similar undertaking that Buffalo was also considering. It will be interesting to see how all of this pans out for Detroit, if Moroun does indeed get the wheels rolling on this project. And if he does, Buffalo should pay close attention.

I wouldn’t expect much from Moroun.
Last time I was in Detroit I visited the station for the first time. Very impressive. On an island similar to ours, but not as far from the core. I forget what it was but there was something hacky that had been done, window replacements or poor repair job. That’s what I’d expect from Moroun.

BlackRockLifer

Moroun was behind the ill fated effort by Ambassador Bridge Company to construct a trucks only bridge here in Black Rock. The large parcel he owns along Tonawanda St (the old Tee to Green golf ) has sat vacant for a decade. The property is not maintained and has become a dumping ground as well as a neighborhood eyesore.
Moroun is known as a dirty dealer in Detroit, our previous councilman Dale Zuchlewski went to Detroit and wrote a story about Marouns corruption, bullying and disrespect for the law and for the residents living near his truck plaza. There was also an article in Forbes outlining the same issues, this guy is trouble.

Peter Dudley

Politics (and historic preservation) make strange bedfellows.

grovercleveland

The biggest thing holding back old train stations is that people don’t ride trains.

“Instead of positioning an Amtrak at the Central Terminal, political leaders opted to build a new station in Downtown Buffalo, much to the chagrin of East Side advocates.”

and the anger of preservationists, excluding the jubilant Tim Tielman of course.

goldfish5free

Both of these gorgeous stations were doomed from the start by locations so impractical they failed in eras when train travel was more common. Michigan Central is right next to a freeway, so I’d give it much higher odds of reuse and survival.

Peter Dudley

Actually, two freeways (I-75 and I-96). A late-1940s Detroit freeway plan proposed a limited-access expressway running through Roosevelt Park (the station’s “front yard”), and onward through the 1914 Vernor Highway / railroad underpass (eighteen tracks wide), adjacent to the station.
The location of today’s Detroit Metro Airport must be at least fifteen times the failure of the 1913 Michigan Central Station (MCS) location — the airport is more than fifteen miles from downtown Detroit, while the station (along with the nearby 1910 Detroit River Tunnel, which dictated the station site) is only 1.5 miles from Campus Martius.

goldfish5free

Modern international airports require multiple 10,000 foot runways so a significant commute to downtown is to be expected in any city. DTW is the state’s only major airport and a good number of DTW passengers arrive by car from points west. Western Michigan should have built one big airport somewhere around Hastings to serve Grand Rapids, Lansing, Battle Creek and Kalamazoo rather than four little ones, but that’s another story… The condition of Buffalo’s Central Terminal breaks your heart to see, but with a location 3 miles towards Rochester and a 10 min drive on slow streets from any highway, I don’t forsee a future as a transit hub.

Peter Dudley

The grand opening of Detroit’s landmark Michigan Central Station (MCS), the tallest rail passenger station in the world up to that time, was scheduled for the first week of January, 1914. But fire broke out at Michigan Central Railroad’s 30-year-old terminal on Third Street at about 2:30 pm, December 26, 1913. By the time the station’s old-fashioned clock tower collapsed, trains were already arriving and departing at the ultra-modern monument on 15th Street, without ceremony – everyone was too busy for any formalities.
For more than a century, this iconic structure has reflected the changing spirit of Detroit. Despite its location, 1½ miles from Campus Martius Park, the new passenger terminal was centered in a boom town – the world’s epicenter of cutting-edge automotive technology. Downtown was expected to continue expanding outward. Population growth would justify a magnificent gateway to Detroit’s glowing future.
Railroad operations were cutting-edge, too. More than 28 miles of electrified track were laid on both sides of the river, including Michigan Central’s 1½-mile-long twin-tubed Detroit River Tunnel, completed in 1910. This Electric Zone included all of the station’s tracks – sixteen passenger and express freight sidings, a 25-track stub-ended coach yard, sixteen team tracks for receiving supplies, and M.C.R.R.’s double-track mainline.
Between Chicago and Buffalo, “The Niagara Falls Route” (via Detroit and southern Ontario) was actually shorter, faster, and less-congested than New York Central Railroad’s “Water Level Route” (via Toledo, Cleveland, and Erie).
Electric locomotives drew 600-volt direct current from an outside-third-rail – the same system used at New York City’s Grand Central Terminal, which opened eleven months earlier. The same architects and engineers planned and built both stations simultaneously.
Many of our ancestors arrived here – their new lives began aboard Depot Loop streetcars, departing from the curving Trolley Platform near the station’s East Entrance.
Amid tearful farewells, warriors departed through the Passenger Subway, toward distant battlefields – many returned, to heartfelt embraces in the Main Concourse.
After 1929, the glowing future dimmed. Gradually, the station devolved into an abandoned, monumental reminder of a future that had passed.
The technology that spawned it ultimately ruined it.
But the Station, along with its City, still stands.
Search the Online Collection at http://www.DetroitHistorical.org, for vintage photos of MCS. Visit Michigan Central Station Preservation Society”s Facebook page, or go to http://www.SaveMichiganCentral.com, for updates about the continuing effort to revive Detroit’s most-famous / infamous landmark.
The attached, award-winning photograph was retrieved from Julian Bibb Photography’s Facebook page.https://uploads.disquscdn.com/images/e45d8524a0e13d46bbcf08e91576236a5e267ff99773c9b9413a58adec3e4fb7.png

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LEARN. SAMPLE. LOVE.
Love good food? Join us for a healthy cooking class!
Work closely with a professional chef to learn simple cooking techniques and enjoy generous samples of the evening's creations.

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LEARN. SAMPLE. LOVE.
Love good food? Join us for a healthy cooking class!
Work closely with a professional chef to learn simple cooking techniques and enjoy generous samples of the evening’s creations.
Featuring Chef Vincent from D’Avolio.
Menu Includes: Salmon with Kale-Quinoa Salad
Classes are $25. Independent Health Members receive a $5 discount.

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Folk artist, rock 'n roller, and storyteller Matt Butler of New York City will chronicle his recovery experience through story telling and song at 1 p.m. in the Butler Rehabilitation

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Folk artist, rock ‘n roller, and storyteller Matt Butler of New York City will chronicle his recovery experience through story telling and song at 1 p.m. in the Butler Rehabilitation Center Auditorium on the campus of the Buffalo Psychiatric Center, 400 Forest Ave., Buffalo, NY 14213.

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OVERWINTERING, PROPAGATION & MAKING CUTTINGS
Save money by propagating and bringing in plants for the winter.
Taught by Master Gardener Peggy Koppmann.
Other classes available are:
Making Hypertufas 9/9/2017
Making Kokedamas

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OVERWINTERING, PROPAGATION & MAKING CUTTINGS

Save money by propagating and bringing in plants for the winter.
Taught by Master Gardener Peggy Koppmann.

Other classes available are:

Making Hypertufas 9/9/2017
Making Kokedamas 9/19/2017

Cost for the classes will be :
$20/session or $50 for all 3. Cost for MG will be $15/session.
Limit 20 per session. Class Sizes are LIMITED!

To receive registration information, contact the CCE Master Gardener Program at (716) 652-5400, x 177 or on the web at erie.cce.cornell.edu.

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• Buffalo State’s Theater Department presents Blood at the Root September 27-30 and October 4-7 at 8:00 p.m., and September 30 and October 7 at 2:00 p.m. in the Flexible Theater,

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• Buffalo State’s Theater Department presents Blood at the Root September 27-30 and October 4-7 at 8:00 p.m., and September 30 and October 7 at 2:00 p.m. in the Flexible Theater, in Donald Savage Theater and Communication Building. Dominque Morisseau’s drama, which debuted in 2014, was inspired by the racially divisive case of the Jena Six involving black Louisiana teenagers accused of an attack on a white schoolmate. Tickets are $15 for the general public; $10 for seniors age 62 and up and $10 for Buffalo State faculty, staff, and alumni; and $6 for Buffalo State students. Advance tickets for all Buffalo State Theater Department productions can be purchased online or by phone (716) 878-3005.

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Join us for a night of good food, and good drinks for a great cause! This event will feature live music, silent auctions, and food and beverage samples from your

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Join us for a night of good food, and good drinks for a great cause! This event will feature live music, silent auctions, and food and beverage samples from your favorite local restaurants, wineries and breweries!

General admission tickets are $30 each for Independent Health members and $35 for the general public. A limited amount of VIP tickets are on sale for $60 and include an open bar, commemorative glass, giveaway bag and more! You must be 21 years or older to attend. Event attire is business casual.

For more information or to purchase tickets, visit the Healthy Options website at https://www.healthyoptionsbuffalo.com/event/100021/taps-apps-2017.

“Taps & Apps” will benefit the Independent Health Foundation’s efforts to combat childhood obesity in Western New York, including events like Kids Run and community programs such as the Fitness for Kids Challenge and Soccer for Success.

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The neurological health of U.S. presidents has a long history of being misunderstood, ignored, and covered up. On Thursday, September 28 Nicholas J. Silvestri, MD, clinical associate professor of

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The neurological health of U.S. presidents has a long history of being misunderstood, ignored, and covered up. On Thursday, September 28 Nicholas J. Silvestri, MD, clinical associate professor of neurology at the University of Buffalo School of Medicine and Biomedical Sciences and an avid history buff will present ”Neurological Ailments in U.S. Presidents.” His talk will take place at 6 pm at the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, 1 Lafayette Square, Buffalo, NY.

This program is presented by the Association for a Buffalo Presidential Center in cooperation with the Buffalo & Erie County Public Library, and is free and open to the public.

From John Adams’ migraines to Woodrow Wilson’s stroke to Ronald Reagan’s Alzheimer’s disease, Dr. Silvestri presents an historical overview of how neurological diseases affected a number of U.S. presidents.

Silvestri notes that although these and other neurological conditions significantly affected the ability of some presidents to carry out their duties, it is only relatively recently that legislation addressed such circumstances.

“It wasn’t until 1967 that an amendment of the Constitution passed that said that if a president was unable to discharge his duties, the president can be replaced by the vice president,” says Silvestri.

The Buffalo Presidential Center Association encourages the study, exploration, interpretation and public awareness of Buffalo and Western New York’s contributions to the presidency and national affairs.

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Doubt, while fundamental to the scientific method, has played an out-sized role in the public debate on climate change. Why do so many Americans distrust science in this specific context?

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Doubt, while fundamental to the scientific method, has played an out-sized role in the public debate on climate change. Why do so many Americans distrust science in this specific context? Join our panelists in a discussion of the history of environmentalism, the politicization of science, and more for the launch event of the Buffalo Humanities Festival 2017: Environments.

Our panelists include:
Elizabeth Mazzolini, author of The Everest Effect and Associate Professor of English at the University at Buffalo.
Adam Rome, author of The Genius of Earth Day and Professor of History at the University at Buffalo.
Jason Briner is Director of the Paleoclimate Lab and Associate Professor of Geology at University at Buffalo.
Jacqueline Patterson is the Director of the NAACP Environmental and Climate Justice Program.
Ryan McPherson, our moderator, is the Chief Sustainability Officer at the University at Buffalo.

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Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Startup Weekend will bring together entrepreneurs from around the region for a 3-day crash course in how to take an idea and turn it into a

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Buffalo, NY – Buffalo Startup Weekend will bring together entrepreneurs from around the region for a 3-day crash course in how to take an idea and turn it into a business plan.

The weekend long celebration of business ideas will begin Friday, Sept. 29 at 6 p.m. and run through Sunday, Oct 1 at 5 p.m at Dig Buffalo, 640 Ellicott Street. The crash course in entrepreneurialism kicks off 43North Finals Week and is designed to match entrepreneurs, developers, designers and startup enthusiasts with business mentors and expertise.

“Buffalo Startup Weekend is a gateway to the startup world and a chance for anyone in the community to learn what it takes to launch an idea in just a weekend. Along the way, participants meet new people, form a team and learn the process from Buffalo-based entrepreneurship trailblazers,” said Matt Hostetler, one of the organizers for the 7th annual Buffalo Startup Weekend. “The first-place team will have the opportunity to pitch their idea and get feedback from judges at 43 North – the world’s largest business idea competition
– during 43North week in October and all of the top three teams will receive prizes at Buffalo Startup Weekend.”

The 3-day marathon event promotes taking a business from concept to creation, and is open to aspiring and experienced entrepreneurs, developers and technicians, designers and business enthusiasts. Last year’s event drew over 125 entrepreneurs and even more are expected to attend this year.

“The event is open to students from colleges, universities and even high schools,” said Jon Spitz, Managing Director of Z80 Labs and co-founder and former lead organizer of Buffalo Startup Weekend. “It’s a really fun and exciting weekend, and no idea is too big or too small.”

Past company participants of Buffalo Startup Weekend that are still active in the WNY business community include Heads Up, Atinga Project, and Buffalo Automation Group. Individuals who participated on teams, provided feedback as judges, and served as coaches and organizers include the leaders of ACV Auctions, CoachMePlus, and Thimble.io.

Tickets are $25 presale and are available at https://www.eventbrite.com/e/startup-weekend-buffalo-tickets-36080464641. Sponsorship opportunities are also available. If interested, reach Matt Hostetler @ Matt.Hostetler@gmail.com

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Girls Night Out is a local Fundraiser to raise awareness for the Breast Cancer Network of WNY. This year Peak Performance teamed up with WNY Imaging Group to benefit the

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Girls Night Out is a local Fundraiser to raise awareness for the Breast Cancer Network of WNY. This year Peak Performance teamed up with WNY Imaging Group to benefit the Breast Cancer Network of WNY. Their mission is to support, educate, and advocate for individuals with breast cancer, breast cancer survivors and family and friend co-survivors. They are dedicated to ending breast cancer and the deaths it causes.

The 5th annual Girl’s Night Out event is September 29th at The Grapevine Banquets from 6-11pm. Our event includes food, drinks, 42 local vendors, DJ, dancing, 50/50, Chinese auction, wine wall, Amherst Casino Events, grand prize raffle, and lots of fun! Tickets can be purchased for $20 pre-sale at www.BCNWNY.org or $25 at the door. The first 700 people in the doors will receive a free tote bag.

All proceeds go to The Breast Cancer Network of WNY.
We hope to see you there!

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Join Todd Shalom on a participatory walk that responds to Buffalo’s streetscape via sound, movement, visual and architecture-based prompts. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will perform our ritualized relationships to

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Join Todd Shalom on a participatory walk that responds to Buffalo’s streetscape via sound, movement, visual and architecture-based prompts. U.S. Customs and Border Protection will perform our ritualized relationships to country, institution, public space and self. This walk holds 12 people and is open to all abilities.
Shalom is the founder and director of participatory walks organization, Elastic City. He performs and makes installations to re-contextualize the body in space using vocabulary of the everyday. He is a member of the core faculty at Pratt Institute’s MFA in Writing. Todd holds a BSBA in Marketing from Boston University and an MFA in Writing from California College of the Arts.

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Join us for our 6th RETRO REWIND event at Revolution Gallery!
DJ Dr. Wisz will be spinning records from his alternative, punk, goth and industrial dance tunes of the underground clubs

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Join us for our 6th RETRO REWIND event at Revolution Gallery!

DJ Dr. Wisz will be spinning records from his alternative, punk, goth and industrial dance tunes of the underground clubs of Buffalo’s 1980s and 1990s. Enjoy drink specials at the wine bar. $3 PBR, $5 Craft Beer and $5 Glasses of Wine. Take a trip back to the 80s and 90s with us and check out our current exhibit “interFUSION”. FREE! Starts @ 8PM.

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Join Dee Adams And Friends for an evening of the songs of Indigo Girls. From the great-big-sing-along-classic-hits to deep cuts both rockin' and folkin', we'll be honoring one of the

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Join Dee Adams And Friends for an evening of the songs of Indigo Girls. From the great-big-sing-along-classic-hits to deep cuts both rockin’ and folkin’, we’ll be honoring one of the most iconic musical groups in modern folk history in the name of raising funds and awareness for Gay and Lesbian Youth Services of WNY ($10 at the door). At least one song from each of their studio albums spanning 30 years will be performed by a band led by Dee Adams, and featuring Buffalo staples Paul Ceppaglia, Helen Butler-Ceppaglia, Sarah DiChristina, Charlie Gannon, Elton Hough, Kathryn Koch, Joe “Mojo” Mergler, Loraine O’Donnell, and Grace Stumberg. Signed merchandise by Indigo Girls will be available for auction in benefit of GLYS of WNY. For more information, contact deeadamsmusic@gmail.com

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Join the Ronald McDonald House Young Professionals on Saturday, September 30th at the North Park Theatre for an afternoon of film and fun!
11:30am Showtime
Pre-show activities starting at 11:00am, including a

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Join the Ronald McDonald House Young Professionals on Saturday, September 30th at the North Park Theatre for an afternoon of film and fun!

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We're celebrating Buffalo Beer Week with Rhythm 'n' Brews in the taproom! Join us for live blues music all day and our next limited bottle release, Dissolution. This Fire and

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We’re celebrating Buffalo Beer Week with Rhythm ‘n’ Brews in the taproom! Join us for live blues music all day and our next limited bottle release, Dissolution. This Fire and Butterscotch Oak Aged Baltic Porter which was then aged on Chinese Schisandra Berries comes in at a whopping 9.4% ABV.

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Join the Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project and co-sponsor Grindhaus Cafe for a screening of Victor Silverman and Susan Stryker's 2005 documentary, Screaming Queens, the retelling of the 1966 riot at

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Join the Buffalo-Niagara LGBTQ History Project and co-sponsor Grindhaus Cafe for a screening of Victor Silverman and Susan Stryker’s 2005 documentary, Screaming Queens, the retelling of the 1966 riot at Compton’s Cafeteria in San Francisco. Followed by a panel discussion on the impact of gentrification, race, and class on queer places in Buffalo.

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Vinyl lovers unite! Yelp Buffalo has partnered up with Buffalo Distilling Co. to bring you Vibrations & Librations - an invitation to gather local vinyl enthusiasts for a night of

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Vinyl lovers unite! Yelp Buffalo has partnered up with Buffalo Distilling Co. to bring you Vibrations & Librations – an invitation to gather local vinyl enthusiasts for a night of sounds and spirits!

The idea is simple: we want YOU to bring in some vinyl records!

DJ Hannah K. will have her awesome turntable all set up to spin your album’s best side while Buffalo Distilling Co. charms you with their fantastic drink and food specials. You’ll have the chance to meet fellow vinyl enthusiasts, and share your favorite sounds with all of your Yelp friends!

No records? No problem! Feel free to stop by and enjoy your fellow Yelpers’ amazing taste in music, and check out the new cocktail bar in Larkinville! (Besides, our DJ will be bringing plenty to share!)

*****THIS MONTH: Relive the Rock-n-Roll revolution! Bring in anything from the most iconic classic rock artists to the popular indie rock artists of today!*****

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Join us upstairs on Floor Two as we once again open our Party bar and dance the night away with The Nerds Gone Wild! This is New York Beer Project's

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Join us upstairs on Floor Two as we once again open our Party bar and dance the night away with The Nerds Gone Wild! This is New York Beer Project’s biggest 80’s party of the year! Doors open at 8pm. $5 cover.

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As one of the region’s most read publications since its launch in 2004, Buffalo Rising’s diverse editorial team delivers a wide range of relevant content to our readers as it unfolds in real time. An independently owned and operated digital publication, Buffalo Rising provides editorial and critical reviews on all topics that relate to Buffalo, NY.